Nigeria survived a late scare to edge past Tunisia 3-2 in a thrilling Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group C encounter held in Fes on Saturday. The Super Eagles, after a shaky start to the tournament, displayed a transformed performance, dominating the early stages of the match. With this victory, Nigeria became the second team, after Egypt, to qualify for the knockout stage of the 2025 AFCON.

Nigeria started the match brightly, with Victor Osimhen, the 2023 African Player of the Year, leading the attack. Osimhen had an early goal ruled offside but continued to threaten the Tunisian defense. His persistence paid off just before halftime when he timed his run perfectly to head in a cross from Ademola Lookman, giving Nigeria a 1-0 lead.

The Super Eagles continued their dominance after the break. Captain Wilfred Ndidi doubled the lead just three minutes into the second half, further solidifying Nigeria's control of the game. Ademola Lookman added a third in the 67th minute, seemingly putting the game beyond Tunisia's reach.

However, Tunisia showed resilience and refused to surrender. Montassar Talbi pulled one back in the 74th minute with a header from a Hannibal Mejbri free-kick, igniting a late comeback attempt. The goal shifted the momentum, and Tunisia began to apply sustained pressure on the Nigerian defense.

The pressure paid off in the 87th minute when Ali Abdi converted a penalty after a VAR review determined that Bright Osayi-Samuel had handled the ball in the area. With the score now at 3-2, the match entered a tense final few minutes with Tunisia throwing everything forward in search of an equalizer.

Tunisia had two late chances to level the score during the seven minutes of added time, but Ferjani Sassi's header and Ismael Gharbi's shot both narrowly missed the target. Nigeria managed to hold on, securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory and a place in the AFCON round of 16.

The win gives Nigeria six points from their opening two matches, guaranteeing them top spot in Group C. Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda will battle for the remaining qualification spots in the final round of group matches on Tuesday. Despite the late scare, Nigeria's performance against Tunisia showcased their potential as title contenders in the 2025 AFCON.